A former Google China exec says the company’s plan to build a censored search engine in the country is likely a violation of human rights (GOOG, GOOGL)

A former Google exec who worked in China has called Google’s plan to build a censored search engine “stupid.”
Lokman Tsui, head of free expression for Asia, said he couldn’t think of a scenario by which such a search engine didn’t violate human-rights standards.
Tsui said that Google no longer employs anyone with his former title, which was “head of free expression.”

Lokman Tsui didn’t mince words.

The Intercept on Friday published an interview with Tsui, Google’s former head of free expression for Asia and the Pacific until 2014. The former Googler characterized Google’s plan to build a censored search engine that complied with the demands of the Chinese government as “stupid.”

Tsui also suggested that such a search engine would likely violate human-rights standards.

He was responding to the news last week that Google was building a search engine that would filter out search terms and web sites that the government of the People’s Republic of China finds objectionable. Since then, Google has faced criticism from politicians, users and even its own employees.

“In these past few years things have been deteriorating so badly in China – you cannot be there without compromising yourself,” Tsui told The Intercept.

He added that a censored search engine in the China “would be a moral victory for Beijing…(which) has nothing to lose. So if Google wants to go back it would be under the terms and conditions that Beijing would lay out for them. I can’t see how Google would be able to negotiate any kind of a deal that would be positive. I can’t see a way to operate Google search in China without violating widely–held international human rights standards.”

Google representatives did not immediately respond to questions about Tsui’s comments.

A censored search platform represents a dramatic change of heart …read more

The 35 cities in the US with the biggest influx of… MagnifyMoney looked at the 100 largest US metros to determine the "biggest boomtowns" in America. In these up-and-coming cities, population and housing, workforce and employment opportunities, and business are booming. Texas cities took up one-third of the top 15 metros, with Austin taking the top spot. If you're looking for an up-and-coming city with a growing business scene, you won't find popular destinations like New York City or Los Angeles on any list. Rather, Texas and parts of the Mountain region are taking over and considered the "biggest boomtowns" in America. That's according to MagnifyMoney, which looked at the 100…

Google is looking for an ally in China to deliver… Google is reportedly looking for a partner to deliver cloud services to China. The report comes as Google is said to be preparing a version of its search engine for China — and that complies with government censorship rules. Microsoft and Amazon have already tapped local partners in China to deliver cloud services, because of the country's strict rules around data needing to stay within its borders. Google is looking to make a grand re-entry into China, after years away. Media reports earlier this week about Google's plans developing a special censored search product for China sparked outrage. But that's…

On Pericope, Alex Jones tells supporters to get… ALEX JONES (HOST): It now stands with you and the U.S. military who I know already understand who the Chicom operatives and the traitors are to understand who's trying to take the First Amendment, who's trying to bankrupt the country, who's trying to shut down everything, who went ahead and admitted they wanted to bankrupt health care in America to bring us to our knees. We're under attack and you know that, and you pointed out mainstream media is the enemy. But now it's time to act on the enemy before they do a false flag. I know the Justice…